Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Third Edition

JoEllen Patterson, PhD, LMFT, is Professor in the Marital and Family Therapy Program at the University of San Diego. She is also Associate Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. Dr. Patterson received a Rotary International Scholarship to work at Cambridge University, as well as Fulbright Awards to work in Norway, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Canada. She has published several books and has served on the editorial boards of leading family therapy journals. Her global work includes initiatives in Jordan and Ecuador.Lee Williams, PhD, LMFT, is Professor of Marital and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego. He is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and does couple therapy with veterans at the VA San Diego Medical Center. His research and publications have focused primarily on marriage preparation, couples with religious differences, and family therapy training.Todd M. Edwards, PhD, LMFT, is Professor and Chair of the Marital and Family Therapy Program at the University of San Diego (USD). He is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and Editor of the International Journal of Systemic Therapy. In addition to his work at USD, Dr. Edwards has a private practice, where he works with individuals, couples, and families, and is a health coach through the RELINK program at the University of California, San Diego.Larry Chamow, PhD, LMFT, is Clinical Professor of Marital and Family Therapy at the University of San Diego and is in full-time private practice at the Pacific Family Institute in Carlsbad, California. He is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Dr. Chamow's interests and publications focus on couple therapy, supervision, the self of the therapist, and family businesses.Claudia Grauf-Grounds, PhD, LMFT, is Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Seattle Pacific University and served as a clinical faculty member at the University of Washington School of Medicine for over 10 years. She conducts research, publishes, and presents on family therapy training, supervision, and collaborative healthcare models that embrace spirituality. Dr. Grauf-Grounds is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Honored as Supervisor of the Year by the Washington Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, she enjoys mentoring the next generation of psychotherapists, pastors and physicians.

"A classic and invaluable resource for family therapy educators, practitioners, and students from multiple disciplines. In this third edition, the well-respected authors offer up-to-date, developmentally informed, and biopsychosocially oriented guidance on the conduct of family therapy from beginning to end. The book provides a clear picture of what actually occurs in sessions with families and articulates strategies for addressing a diverse array of situations. All readers will benefit from reflecting on the thoughtfully presented information about health care reform, emerging trends in treatment, and the personal and professional journey of being a therapist."--Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, ABPP, Department of Psychiatry, Emory University; past president, American Psychological Association"This significant revision of the definitive basic family therapy text provides exactly the kind of nuts-and-bolts information that beginning family therapists need. The third edition systematically covers each of the crucial topics that need to be mastered, within an evidence-based practice framework. Written in a very interesting way and filled with clinical examples, this book should be a required text in every marriage and family therapy program, as well as in family classes in counseling, psychology, or social work. Among the many family therapy books out there, this is the single go-to text."--Jay L. Lebow, PhD, ABPP, LMFT, Senior Scholar and Clinical Professor, The Family Institute at Northwestern University"Essential Skills in Family Therapy, Third Edition, is a clear and practical guide for all new psychotherapists who want to facilitate individual and relational growth and problem solving in clients, while at the same time tending to their own self-awareness and self-care. Emphasizing the integration of mind and body, the book equips students and clinicians with important systemic skills for participating in evolving health care systems."--Susan H. McDaniel, PhD, Dr. Laurie Sands Distinguished Professor of Families and Health, and Director, Institute for the Family, University of Rochester Medical Center -

• 1. The Beginning Family Therapist: Taking On the Challenge2. Before the Initial Interview3. The Initial Interview4. Guidelines for Conducting Assessment5. Developing a Treatment Focus and Treatment Plan6. Basic Treatment Skills and Interventions7. Working with Families and Children8. Working with Older Adults and Their Caregivers9. Working with Couples10. When a Family Member Has a Mental Illness11. Getting Unstuck in Therapy12. Termination13. Family Therapy in the FutureAppendix. Screening Instruments